"Morning," XiaoPu yawned and plopped down at the table, his eyes a bit puffy from apologizing to Seraphine last night, "Uncle William, you should wipe away that starstruck drool, or it’s going to land in your coffee."
Caught off guard, William choked on his coffee, sputtering it out, "..."
"Oh my goodness," Bing Shi exclaid, quickly patting William’s back to help clear his airway, "XiaoPu, what did I say about teasing other people, especially during al ti?"
XiaoPu used his chopsticks to serve himself a piece of olet roll in a graceful manner, "Well, if Uncle William’s going to keep acting like a love-struck teenager around a taken woman, soone’s got to call him out on it. That’s what dad said."
William raised his hand as if telling Seraphine that he was alright, "I swear I don’t harbor those types of feelings towards you," he then shot a glare in XiaoPu’s direction for creating unnecessary misunderstandings, "Kiddo, if you weren’t so busy making these hurtful comnts, maybe you wouldn’t have to apologize to your godparents so often."
XiaoPu chewed on a mouthful of fragrant rice, immune to most provocation since he grew up with one, "Hey, at least I can admit when I’m wrong. When was the last ti you admitted to having a crush?"
William wasn’t drooling over Seraphine, XiaoPu just wanted to break his guarded stance, finding the serious Uncle William funny.
William knew the boy was a savage, and would ever get emotional over his family only. He composed himself, wiping his mouth to buy himself a mont to formulate a response. "Well, admitting to a crush would require having one in the first place, wouldn’t it?"
Stinky Bun’s eyes switched between uncle William and XiaoPu in entertainnt, chewing on the sweet pancake his mommy just slipped into his mouth.
Bing Shi gave XiaoPu a look that silently said, ’that’s enough,’ then redirected her attention to feeding Stinky Bun.
"Alright, I get it," XiaoPu said, "Truce for now, Uncle William. No hard feelings, right?"
William sighed in relief. Any more, and he would resign from life because of a nine-year-old boy. "Yeah, no hard feelings." He took a bite of the sa dish Stinky Bun had been enjoying with such gusto that it piqued his curiosity: ’Too sweet!’
· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·
After XiaoPu had helped clear the table, he fled to his room, Stinky Bun running after him, leaving Seraphine and William alone in the kitchen.
Bing Shi invited William for a walk around the house, "I heard what happened in your family."
"They’ve been pressuring to settle down," William cast a sidelong glance away, "They’re getting quite insistent about it. It’s like they want to marry just anyone at this point."
"Are you okay with how things are right now? Or do you feel like you’re missing out on sothing?" Bing Shi inquired, looking over at him as they continued their walk.
William paused, contemplating her question, "After seeing your family dynamic... it does make wonder what I’m missing out on, but I suppose I can say that I’m content right now."
Bing Shi glimpsed at him sympathetically, ’Who hurt him so much?’
In the past, this man was able to fall in love with three won at once. Now it seed he was hesitant to even consider love, despite having such a big heart.
"Hm?" William looked back at her, touching his face, "Is there sothing on my face?"
Bing Shi shook her head gently, "I don’t understand why everyone thinks there is sothing wrong with you. You seem happy to ."
"Right?" William huffed, exasperated, "No one else seems to get it except for you."
· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·
William walked into his condo, the door shutting softly behind him. He let out a deep breath as he hung up his coat and walked into the living room.
Pouring himself a drink, William walked over to the large glass window that showcased the city skyline. The buildings were illuminated, casting a sea of lights that were both beautiful and isolating at the sa ti.
His bracelet buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. It was a text from XiaoPu.
(XiaoPu): Sorry for today, and thank you for taking care of yesterday.
Attached was a photo of a rather comical drawing. William was depicted with arms as long as noodles and a head shaped like a triangle.
XiaoPu had drawn himself with superhero muscles and a cape, while Stinky Bun was enlarged to the size of a small house.
The drawing brought a hearty laugh out of William. He quickly typed a reply.
(William): What? Do you expect to print your gift and put it on my fridge or sothing?
(XiaoPu): If you put it up, at least it’ll give the impression that soone with a life actually lives in your condo.
"Kiddo’s got a point," William muttered to himself, smirking at the thought. He was content at being a rich, single, uncle for two mischievous nephews.
The next day, XiaoPu’s funny drawing was on William’s fridge, held up by magnets. He didn’t know why he had stood up for Edward and Seraphine before. It was probably Edward’s sudden change in behavior, and the culprit behind that particular change.
· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·
XiaoPu tapped his wrist against the paynt terminal to check his balance. A holographic display appeared, showing just enough credits to cover his school lunches for the week. Not a cent more.
He sighed and dropped his wrist, ’I won’t be able to level up fast enough without the monthly boost.’
Asking Edward for extra money was out of the question. His entire family already depended on his monthly allowances.
Edward had also cut off XiaoPu’s pocket money for three months for making Seraphine cry.
Turning to his birth parents wasn’t an option either; they would undoubtedly want to know what he needed the extra cash for. And if he told them it was to buy stuff from an in ga’s item shop, they would definitely disagree.
Suddenly, an idea sprang to life in XiaoPu’s mind.
· · ───────── · ⊱❈⊰· ───────── · ·
William sat alone in a conference room at his family’s corporate headquarters. Today, he was there for a family board eting, an event he dreaded even more.
In front of him were stacks of financial reports and business proposals that he was supposed to review before the eting. Yet, his mind kept drifting.
The door creaked open, and XiaoPu entered, looking curious yet out of place in such a formal setting.
William couldn’t help but notice how the boy’s brown wig and contact lenses made him look surprisingly similar to himself, "What happened to you?"
"Seraphine helped out with the disguise," said XiaoPu.
XiaoPu had asked William if he needed to do so errands like watering plants or dusting furniture for fifty bucks.
William had staff who could do it more affordably and efficiently, so he declined and just sent him the fifty bucks, which imdiately alerted Seraphine.
She insisted XiaoPu not accept the money without giving sothing in return. The disguise was for XiaoPu to act as William’s long lost son, a small joke designed to throw off the family and give William so breathing room from their constant pressure to settle down.
They didn’t know how Seraphine did it but she was able to pull out a birth certificate and a DNA test to make it even more believable. (In case they needed it).
Hey, wait a mont. Wasn’t that illegal?!
"Is it okay for to be here?" XiaoPu whispered, clinging to his backpack like a safety net.
"Yes, you’re fine," William said, gesturing for the boy to sit next to him. He could feel the atmosphere in the room grow tense as his relatives trickled in, their eyes instantly drawn to XiaoPu sitting next to him.
Murmurs filled the air, punctuated by sharp glances in their direction.
Finally, his aunt couldn’t contain herself. "William, who is this young man sitting next to you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"This is Oliver, my son," William declared, observing the ripple of disbelief that washed over the room.
"Your son? Are you joking? Since when did you have a son, William?" his uncle asked in disbelief.
"I assure you, I’m not joking," William said, maintaining his composure. He glanced at XiaoPu, who gave a small nod, "I’ve had a DNA test and possess a birth certificate that confirms it."
The room went silent for a mont before erupting into a cacophony of questions and exclamations. Finally, the family’s matriarch, William’s grandmother, raised her hand to command attention.
"Enough! If William says the boy is his son, we have to respect that," she said, her eyes piercing as she looked at XiaoPu. "You may stay. We’ll discuss this matter privately later."
The aunt looked as if she wanted to argue, but one stern glance from the matriarch silenced her.
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